How Trixie Saved Hearth's Warming Ch. 2.1

How Trixie (Somehow) Saved Hearth's Warming
Chapter 2
By Godzillawolf

Rarity set in her boutique sipping a cup of coco. The group had a number of individual ways of celebrating the holiday. She was personally enjoying it privately after putting the last of Sweetie's presents under the tree while the filly was asleep upstairs. They'd visited their family earlier that day and eaten dinner, and her parents would be in in the morning to open presents. Time with your loving family was the main reason for the season, but a little bit of R&R after a hectic holiday season was welcome as well...especially when holiday dresses had been in major demand the entire season. While that meant she'd had plenty of funds for presents, it also meant a part of her was relieved it was over.

However, the mare blinked, seeing an odd purple shape out her window. Looking closer, Rarity blinked, finding Twilight's balloon had been set up and seemed ready to launch.

Quickly putting on a fashionable sweater and properly matched scarf, Rarity headed out into the heavy snow, not noticing Opal following her. To her surprise, the fashionista found a certain pink party pony preparing to set out in the balloon with some odd green earth pony with a pink and white mane and a trio of peppermints as her Cutie Mark.

“Pinkie Pie?”

The party pony spun around. “Hi Rarity!”

“Darling, what are you doing here? I thought you and Applejack were at your parents' house?” Rarity asked in confusion, remembering how excited Pinkie Pie had been that to be able to share her family with AJ.

“Oh! I am!” Pinkie Pie replied with a smile.

“...Then how are you here?”

“Oh, in Hearts Warming specials you can travel large distances in an extremely short period of time, silly! How else can they get to the North Pole that quick?!” the party pony exclaimed. “I'll be back to the rock farm before anypony notices I'm gone! Just like how we'll all be at Canterlot to have a party with Twilight later tonight if the comics are any indication! And how Applejack was somehow able to find a store selling Hearth's Warming Eve supplies while at my house in the middle of nowhere! I hope that doesn't lead to an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

Rarity just stared for a moment. “...Okay...” she replied flatly, chalking this up to simply being Pinkie Pie, though having to admit it made a strange amount of sense. She blinked, realizing that Pinkie Pie had indeed been right that there was supposed to be a Hearth's Warming Eve party later tonight. Why had that skipped her mind? She then turned her attention to the green mare. “Who's this?”

“Hi! I'm Minty!” the green pony replied, giving a wave.

“She's a friend of mine!” Pinkie exclaimed, smiling in her usual bright way. “You see when we were younger, Minty accidentally broke the magic candy cane that let Santa know were our town was and we had to go aaaaaallllllll the way to the North Pole! Ever sense then we go there every Hearth's Warming to give him his cookies and milk in person!”

The fashionista cocked her head in confusion. “...How many years have you been doing this?”

“Ten!” Minty exclaimed.

None of the mares noticed Opal curiously climb into one of the bags of supplies.

“...Okay...You travel to the North Pole and back every Hearth's Warming?”

“Yep! See?” Pinkie Pie asked, producing a picture of her, Minty, and a number of ponies who seemed oddly familiar at Santa Hoove's workshop.

Rarity's brain was simultaneously curious...and just telling her to quietly leave Pinkie Pie to her own weirdness. “...Okay...good luck with that darling. And do be careful...” she replied, then pulled off her scarf and gave it to Pinkie. “It's quite the snow storm.”

“Thanks Rarity!”

“You're welcome, darling.” The two hugged and Rarity retreated back inside.

“Alright! To the North Pole!”

---

Leidr's icy blue eyes fell upon a canyon that branched off into two separate paths. One continued on straight, another continued in another direction, having warning signs plastered all over it, each with a symbol of a demonic rat or mouse.

“Perhaps it's best to let somecreature else handle any who dare try to stop me in my stead,” he stated, sending a shockwave of icy energy into the side of the canyon, causing it to collapse inward, burying the straight path and rendering it impassable.

---

“Ugh...” Trixie muttered as they kept moving on towards the apparent location of their enemy. “Trixie knows it's probably not wise to complain about how long it is taking to reach a battle with an evil villain, but Trixie feels like the scenery hasn't changed for an hour!”

Vixen gave a nod. “Yeah, when there's too many clouds to see the sky, the frozen north isn't the most exciting place in the world. Just snow, snow, and more snow. Trust me, it's a lot more exciting with a clear sky. Then you can see the auroras and the stars.”

Trixie looked up at the storm still over their heads. “It'd certainly be more enjoyable than this. All Trixie sees is white, gray, slightly darker gray...and she believes a little light gray right over there...” the azure mare said with her normal theatrics.

Her reindeer companion gave a chuckle. “You're pretty funny when you try to be.”

Trixie put a hoof to her chest. “Trixie is a showmare! She can be as funny or dramatic as she feels is necessary!...Or in this case, very, very, very bored...”

Vixen gave a look around their surroundings. “I know, I forgot how long this is when you're just walking...”

The showpony was honestly surprised this trip was actually possible on hoof in a night. Then again she was traveling with a magical talking reindeer in an adventure out of a Hearth's Warming Special. Though something did occur to her as odd.

“...How are we not getting lost?” Trixie asked, suddenly realizing there were no landmarks.

Vixen tapped her antlers, which sparkled with magic. “Leidr's lair is close to the North Pole and you could say all reindeer know a 'find my way home' spell...”

“...Trixie thought Rudolph was for that.”

Vixen blushed and gave a sheepish look...Trixie's eyes also picked up one other emotion but she couldn't tell with all the wind. “Well...you see...um...Rudolph is to guide the sleigh during foggy weather, this spell is to guide us home in case...well, this one time we all ended up...lost a few hours before Hearth's Warming and got separated...”

Trixie gave a chuckle. “Trixie sees. Well at least Trixie needn't worry about it happening this time around...but that does not make her any less bored...”

“Yeah...and we've still got a ways to go. Maybe we should do something to pass the time?” Vixen suggested, the crunch of snow under their hooves and the wind being the only noise.

Trixie sighed. “Trixie supposed but what? Hearth's Warming carols?”

The azure showmare recoiled a bit when Vixen's response was to stop and give an excited gasp that strangely reminded her of Pinkie Pie. The reindeer spun around with an excited grin. “That's a great idea!”

Trixie was taken aback and backpedaled a little bit. “Um, Trixie was bei-”

“Hearth's Warming time is here again
So much to love where to begin?” the reindeer started singing, trotting forwards.

'Note to self, mentioning Hearth's Warming carols around reindeer turns them into Pinkie Pie,' Trixie thought, continuing after her. 'Trixie doesn't know if she should find this amusing or scary...at least she isn't tone deaf...'

“Huddling next to the warm fire
Watching snow outside grow higher,
To see hearts open up so wide
As loved ones nestle safe inside...” Vixen continued, singing the carol as if it were second nature.

Trixie tried to simply ignore it and keep moving forwards along. But she had to admit it was a catchy carol. And the idea of being warm in front of the fire as the snow fell was appealing.

“Sharing gifts on Hearth's Warming morn
With bright faces that aren't forlorn.
All these things I do so adore
They make me love Hearth's Warming more!” Vixen continued, never losing her cheerful tone. She looked expectantly at Trixie.

Trixie tried to resist the temptation to join in, but being a pony, that was no easy task. Especially when she truthfully did enjoy the holiday when she wasn't struggling to save it. At any rate, there was little better to do at the moment, so why not?

“Well if Trixie truly must say,
There's things she loves about today.
Putting on a Hearth's Warming show
She takes pride in her work you know,” Trixie sang, falling into Vixen's rhythm.

“Curled in a nice worm blanket
Coco with marshmallows in it.
Knowing that this year you've been nice
And that your heart is not made of ice,” the Azure unicorn continued. While she wasn't about to tell Vixen she'd been on the Naughty List for several years for obvious reasons. There was a certain satisfaction in being a REDEEMED pony who had the potential to be on the Nice List for a change. She began to get caught up in the song. That was simply Equine nature after all. And it wasn't like she had much else to get caught up in other than the exciting endless expanse of white surrounding them.

“Knowing somepony cares for you
And their season's greeting's are true
All these things she does so adore
They make her love Hearth's Warming more!” Trixie finished...then her eyes widened as she realized what she'd let slip out in the moment. “Uh...”

Vixen blinked a little as the song finished and then blushed. “...Well...uh...that was fun...”

Trixie, trying to distract from her own slip, gave a raised eyebrow. “Where exactly did THAT come from? You don't strike Trixie as the Hearth's Warming Carol sort.”

The reindeer looked defensive. “I'm from the North Pole! We all have a weakness for Hearth's Warming Carols! It's in our genes! What about you? You joined in!”

Now it was Trixie's turn to look defensive. “Well...Trixie is a pony! We all have a weakness for musical numbers, it's in our genes.”

Both paused a moment...then laughed a little. “Well...it helped pass the time at least, didn't it?” Vixen inquired.

Trixie hesitantly nodded. “It at least relieved Trixie's boredom if nothing else...”

“You're a good singer, by the way,” Vixen replied.

Trixie put a hoof to her chest proudly. “Thank you, Trixie is talented in many things.”

“Must be nice.”

The azure mare blinked, noting a bit of genuine envy in the doe's voice. She knew envy when she heard it, she was Trixie after all. “What was that?”

“Oh! Nothing! Just happy for you!” Vixen replied, trying to hide a small blush of humiliation.

“Right...”

“Now come on, we've got...uh oh...”

Trixie stopped in her tracks, looking forwards. She saw the canyon ahead of them had a fork in the path. One of said forks was now covered in rock and ice. Trixie didn't have to be a professional ice climber to know the result would be impossible to climb up in this storm.

“...Let Trixie guess, that was the safe and easy path?”

Vixen nodded, suddenly looking frightened. “Yeah...”

“Of course...And now if we wish to progress we have to go into the territory of something incredibly dangerous and life threatening?”

Vixen looked to the signs. “We have to go through the territory of the Rat King...”

“...Like the Nutcracker?” the azure mare questioned.

“Yeah, I think he's that Rat King's descendant...or nephew, or an admirer, I'm not sure which, we've never talked to him to find out...Legend has it ponies that run into him never come back...”

Trixie looked at the signs of demonic rats or mice plastered over the canyon entrance. “...Well, let's go, shall we? Sooner we get in, sooner we get through this.”

Was what Trixie said externally. Internally however, she had to struggle not to run away screaming.

“O-Okay...let's try to be quiet then...” Vixen replied, showing a drop in her general confidence.

'It's just a rat, how back could he be?' Trixie questioned in her head.

---

The two slowly trotted their way through the territory of the Rat King, Trixie doing her level best not to look openly terrified as she kept her eyes out for anything that was going to try and kill her. So far nothing, but she did notice something. On a cliff nearby was a castle, though it seemed rather small for one. About the size of a normal house, unless that was simply the distance talking. However, despite it's small size, the castle had all the trimmings of an evil overlord's fortress, including big spires and tall towers. On one hand, Trixie's rational mind was telling her to fear it. However, her showmare mind appreciated the atmosphere. Whoever owned the castle clearly knew what it was he was looking for in a house.

However, Trixie's eyes noted some of the trees above the path seemed slightly bent (well more than the rest of them), a little bit of snow falling from them like they'd been disturbed. However, the way they were swaying seemed off. Trixie knew either she was paranoid, or that detail was important.

Sure enough, the moment the two of them trotted underneath the strange trees, a net was dropped towards them. “Look out!” Trixie exclaimed, grabbing Vixen in her telekinesis and pulling the reindeer to the side, the net hitting the ground and missing them. “Trixie believes we've been spotted!”

“Run!” Vixen yelled, the two beginning to gallop down the canyon. More nets were tossed down at them from upcoming trees.

“Trixie believes the time for quiet sneaking has passed,” Trixie stated, then used a fire work's explosion to blow the nets to shreds that rained down around them.

Vixen did a quick dodge, flying low enough to the ground to avoid another net. Between the two of them, the duo managed to avoid getting captured and continue rushing forwards.

“Trixie sees the exit!” Trixie exclaimed, seeing the opening at the end of the canyon...before skidding to a stop as a massive, monstrous shadow cast over the past.

“It's him...” Vixen muttered, looking fearful. “The Rat King...”

Trixie braced herself as the source of the shadow got closer and closer. 'Okay, Trixie can just use a firework to distract him and then rush the exit with Vixen, yes that will work...”

A fierce, monstrous looking rat stood on the path leading to the castle, a golden crown atop his head and a red cape billowing behind him in the wind. He wore a blue, regal coat with red trim and a golden sash. He wore a brown belt with a sword hanging from it, the hilt red with a ruby in the center. He snarled and glared daggers at those who dared intrude on his territory...

Trixie blinked as she looked down on the Rat King...who was no bigger than any other rat or mouse she'd ever seen. Oh, he looked monstrous indeed, but he was still just a tiny rat.

The mare stood for a moment looking at the tiny rat. She looked back to Vixen, who seemed considerably more frightened than she was. “Is this the Rat King?”

“Yes! Don't take your eyes off him! He's more dangerous than you think!” the reindeer warned.

Trixie scoffed with a laugh. “He's only a little rat, the Great and Powerful Trixie believes his reputation must be exaggerated! She will take care of this quickly!”

It made sense really, no one saw much of him, he kept ambushing ponies with nets and ponies assumed he was stronger than he actually was. That sounded logical, right?

“Trixie look out!”

The showmare snapped around, finding herself hit in the face with a bright flash of magic.

Trixie this odd sense of falling, but she didn't feel her cape or mane flap, or her hat leave her head...

Disorientated, the mare rubbed her eyes in response...and found her hooves feeling rougher and harder than she remembered. In fact, somehow so did her eyelids.

She opened her eyes (and did her eyelids make a faint click as she did so?) to find the Rat King was now about even in height with herself.

“A shrinking spell?” she questioned, she felt her back lift and lower somehow as she felt under her cape.

She noticed the rodent’s sinister smirk. She looked down, her movements feeling rigid.

She found legs were now covered in azure painted wood. "Zapped me into a wooden suit?"

The Rat King chuckled.

She knocked on the wooden shell, only to realize she FELT her hoof knocking against it, and it was the sound of solid wood knocking again solid wood.

Trixie gasped and felt her face, her beautiful muzzle now shaped like the ugly grinning teeth of a nutcracker's. Her mouth opening and closing like a hinge. The feeling of her back rising and lowering had been her jaw's handle. Handle. She had a handle!

Trixie tried to move her tongue to feel her mouth's inside, but got no response. She and reached in to feel only to find a limp piece of felt in its place. How was she even talking?!

Her was now cape composed of felt. She felt her precious hat, only to realize she could feel her wooden hooves touching her wooden hat like it was part of her head!

"You were a big headed pony before, now it's just obvious," The Rat King said.

She frantically looked herself over, spotting ball joints, and her cutie mark now just painted on. Her lovely tail and what little of her mane that hadn't been under her hat now polyester threads. Trixie heard the sound of shaking wood and realized it was her.

Trixie's reaction to this development was what one would expect. “AHHHHHHHHHH!”

At that moment, Trixie learned a very important lesson: never take your eyes off of tiny terrifying rats: they may transform you into nutcrackers.
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